Swiss president stresses solidarity in talk with Zelensky
The Swiss government just proposed an additional aid package of CHF114 million for Ukraine.
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Swiss President Alain Berset has reiterated the country’s humanitarian commitment to Ukraine in a video conference with Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelensky.
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Il presidente svizzero sottolinea la solidarietà nel colloquio con Zelensky
The talk, which took place via video conference on Thursday, was the first time the two leaders had spoken since Berset took up the rotating Swiss presidency this year.
In a tweet, Berset said he condemned Russia’s military aggression and discussed Switzerland’s strong humanitarian commitment in Ukraine, including demining and the protection of civilians. “Switzerland stands in solidarity with Ukraine,” Berset tweeted on Thursday.
The Ukrainian president thanked his Swiss counterpart for a new aid package released by the federal government on February 22. In addition to the CHF114 million ($121 million) for Ukraine, another CHF26 million is earmarked for Moldova. Part of the planned aid is already available in a loan; around CHF92 million still has to be approved by parliament.
This aid is in addition to the previous CHF1.3 billion committed to support Ukraine, including CHF270 million to help people in the country and CHF1.03 billion to support Ukrainians who have fled to Switzerland. So far, around 75,000 people, mainly women and children, have arrived from Ukraine.
Zelenksy tweeted his appreciation for the aid and said that the two leaders discussed “joint projects” and “practical issues of implementation of the #PeaceFormula”.
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In one of Switzerland’s largest humanitarian aid commitments, the Swiss government has delivered more than 1,000 tonnes of aid directly to Ukraine.
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